触 meaning and stroke order
To butt, to gore, to ram; to touch
How to write 触, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 触
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to touch
- to make contact with sth
- to stir up sb's emotions
How 触 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Horn.
角 gives the meaning and 虫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 角 (angle), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 触
触 (chù) puts a horn 角 (jiǎo) next to 虫, which gives the sound. Picture an animal using its horn to butt or touch something, and you have the meaning "to touch" or "to ram."
Today 触 mostly appears in two-character words about contact, either physical or emotional, such as 接触 (jiēchù), 触摸 (chùmō) and 感触 (gǎnchù). It rarely stands alone in speech. Example: 请勿触摸展品。(Qǐng wù chùmō zhǎnpǐn.) Please do not touch the exhibits.
Common mistake: Learners often read 触 as chóng because of the 虫 (chóng) on the right, but the correct reading is chù with a falling fourth tone. Also make sure the left side is 角 with its full shape, not 用 or 甬.
Common words with 触
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 接触 | jiēchù | to touch; to contact | HSK 5 |
| 触摸 | chùmō | to touch | HSK 7-9 |
| 触动 | chùdòng | to touch; to stir up (trouble or emotions) | HSK 7-9 |
| 触犯 | chùfàn | to violate; to offend | HSK 7-9 |
| 感触 | gǎnchù | one's thoughts and feelings; emotional stirring | HSK 7-9 |
| 触觉 | chùjué | sense of touch; tactile sensation | HSK 7-9 |
| 抵触 | dǐchù | to conflict; to contradict | HSK 7-9 |
| 触目惊心 | chùmù-jīngxīn | lit. shocks the eye, astonishes the heart (idiom); shocking; horrible to see | HSK 7-9 |
| 触发 | chùfā | to trigger; to spark | |
| 触及 | chùjí | to touch (physically, one's feelings etc); to touch on (a topic) | |
| 碰触 | pèngchù | to touch | |
| 触碰 | chùpèng | to touch; (fig.) to touch on (a matter) | |
| 触手 | chùshǒu | tentacle | |
| 触电 | chùdiàn | to get an electric shock |
触 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 触
How many strokes are in 触?
触 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 触 mean?
触 (chù) means to butt, to gore, to ram; to touch. A common word with it is 接触 (jiēchù), meaning "to touch; to contact".
How do you pronounce 触?
触 is pronounced chù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 触?
The radical of 触 is 角, which carries the idea of "angle". Dictionaries list 触 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 触?
The traditional form of 触 is 觸. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 触 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 触 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 触 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 触摸 (chùmō) and 摸 (mō)?
摸 (mō) is the everyday spoken word for touching or feeling something with your hand. 触摸 (chùmō) is more formal and appears on signs, in writing, and in tech terms like 触摸屏 (chùmōpíng), touchscreen.
Can 触 describe being emotionally moved?
Yes. 触动 (chùdòng) means something touched or stirred your feelings, and 感触 (gǎnchù) refers to the thoughts and emotions that arise from an experience. For example, 这件事让我很有感触 (zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ hěn yǒu gǎnchù) means this matter really moved me.